The Act of Redemption
by Irish Tendencies
Summary: Rewritten: During the Cullen's hour of need, Carlisle's brother and sister return to prove that he has not broken a law, but soon find themselves preparing for war. Set during Breaking Dawn. Rated T for violence and slight language. Slightly AU, Carlisle & OC.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:_ Obviously I don't own Twilight, nor do I own any idea related to Bram Stoker's Dracula or anything associated with it._**

**_I have gone back and rewritten the backstory Gabriel and Carlisle, adding my own history to them. This takes place during Breaking Dawn when the other vampire covens come Forks.  
_**

_**This idea came about whilst I was writing Forgotten Brothers. It deals with most of the same characters, but is set in a completely different universe. Gabriel Cullen is still the main character, but he is not an Immortal, nor do Immortals exist in this world. So, if you have read Forgotten Brothers, then think of this as a whole new beast. Although it deals with aspects of Bram Stoker's Dracula, I don't consider it a true crossover. I'm creating my own history with certain characters that Stoker created. I still plan on working on Forgotten Brothers, so don't fret.**_

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**Prologue**

_"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:12, 13 _

Evil. It is defined as being the violation of, or the intent to violate, a moral code or standard. It is the polar opposite of what society deems as good and just. An analysis of its root motives and causes vary widely; however, evil is most commonly associated with conscious and deliberate harm, discrimination designed to hurt others, humiliation of individuals to diminish their psychological well-being and dignity, destructiveness, motives of causing pain or suffering for selfish or malicious intentions, and acts of unnecessary or indiscriminate violence. It's a simple solitary word, but it's one that manifests itself within the very DNA of every species and culture. At its core, evil is distinguished as a choice made by humans. I, however, dispute this notion.

Humanity has, for some time, considered itself to be the dominate species on the Earth. As such, humans view themselves as the only innate mammal with complete consciousness and self-awareness. I suppose they cannot be blamed for their ignorance. In their eyes, they are the only mammals that start wars, destroy nature, and commit genocide over differing religions. They don't see what moves within the shadows. How could they? They move about their measly existence too quickly to notice the real evil this planet harbors.

I've witnessed it. Real evil that fears no single being. Evil that bows to no nation. Things that defy even the worst nightmares. Humans are simply children in comparison to these ancient beasts. If humans knew what lay just in the darkness, they would realize that they are powerless to defend themselves. However, there are some of these beasts that choose to fight their nature and defend humanity. They are a league of beasts that have come together to combat evil in hopes of their redemption. They are a bright star in the blackened sky. That is where my story begins...

My name is Gabriel Cullen, and I was born in the Kingdom of England in 1116. My father was Lord Fredrick Cullen, the then ruler of Nottingham. Being a former knight who fought in the First Crusade, he was a man of strong moral standing, but also harbored a kind heart. My mother was Lady Ingrid of Wessex. She would give birth to twins in 1128; a boy named, Carlisle and a girl, Beatrice. Being children of monarchs meant that we saw nothing short of the best education, however, we were also raised to respect those less fortunate than us. At the age of eighteen, I would join the Knights Templar, eventually earning the field rank of Commander in 1143. Due to my duties within the Knights Templar, Carlisle would later take my place and train under my father to eventually take the throne upon Father's passing. Our mother prepared Beatrice for her role at my brother's side in ruling over Nottingham.

In 1145, the Second Crusade began. The Knights Templar were called upon to attack Damascus in 1148. Needless to say, we lost the conflict and fled back to the Holy Land of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, effectively ending the Second Crusade in 1149. I would then serve under Baldwin III of Jerusalem. I joined him in many conquests, most of which were successful. Encouraged by the outcome of these battles, Baldwin III ordered the Siege of Ascalon in 1153. Our goal was to capture the Egyptian fortress of the name Ascalon that had played a role in the First Crusade. After a long battle, we eventually seized the fortress. Weeks later, I was charged to lead forty of my fellow Brethren back to Jerusalem. Two days into our journey, we were ambushed. We could not see our attackers or make out how many of them there were. In the darkness of the desert, most of my men were killed, and I was critically wounded.

As I lay bleeding in the desert sand, a man pale man with long, black hair approached me. He claimed that he had the power to save me, and in my weakened state, I agreed to let him. He would bestow his dark gift of Immortality on me, thus becoming my Sire. He went on to show me a great many things, including teaching me his knowledge of the Black Arts, a powerful form of Black Magick. We traveled together with his three brides for two centuries, leaving behind a trail of bloodshed. It was in 1253 that my conscious could take no more of our bloody debauchery. I begged him to release me from his hold, fleeing once he reluctantly did.

I traveled the world in the cover of darkness for the next one-hundred years, even being reunited with Beatrice, who had the same dark gift bestowed on her by my Sire, as well as Carlisle. We continued to tour the world before coming upon a unique man named Michael. He explained to us that he was the leader of a global organization that fought against the evil beasts that looked to destroy humanity. He called it the Arc Initiative. He told us that we could help defend humanity by joining him. Intrigued by the idea of restoring some of our humanity, Beatrice, Carlisle, and I eagerly followed him. Carlisle eventually left the Arc Initiative to seek out beings with the same immortality he had. Beatrice and I quickly moved into high power positions, becoming well respected in the process. We have been with the organization for the last 650 years.

Perhaps our efforts to defend humanity were futile, but we try nevertheless...

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**A/N: _I'm playing a little bit with history here, so I'm taking complete creative license with this. As I mentioned up above, Forgotten Brothers and this share some of the same DNA, and that is all for a good reason. This could be seen as a comparison piece, but I leave that up to all of you. So, I hope you all enjoy this first small chapter. There are many more to come. Feel free to leave your thoughts and criticism, as it'll help me in the end._**

_**As usual, until next time…**_


	2. The Hunt

**Disclaimer:_ Obviously I don't own Twilight, nor do I own any idea related to Bram Stoker's Dracula or anything associated with it. _**

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**The Hunt**

It was a stormy night in Chicago as I perched atop the slick roof of an apartment complex. I had been moving from roof to roof for some time now, tracking my prey. He had eluded me for over an hour. With the storm currently brewing, his scent was diminishing quickly. I was searching for where his scent was the strongest, but it would be only a matter of minutes before it vanished completely. I quickly scanned the area below for onlookers and leapt to the concrete, landing with catlike grace. I did not need to worry about many prying eyes due to it being 2:00 AM on a Tuesday morning. That gave me the clear to cautiously walk the sidewalks instead of keeping to the alleys. With that in mind, I continued my hunt.

I tugged my black vest down to adjust it and wrapped my long leather coat around my body. I raised the hood of my coat up to help conceal my face. The sloshing of the water was all that could be heard as I walked along Wabash Avenue. I could smell that my prey was growing near as I rounded the corner of a famous hotel chain. He had taken to hiding in the parking garage. It would seem that the odds were stacked in my favor.

I began strolling into the garage, noting that it was densely packed with various vehicles, and began letting my hunting instincts take charge. It was then that the smell of blood hit my senses. I felt the veins around my eyes enlarge and relocate to engorge my sclera with blood, starting my bloodlust. My canines and lateral incisors lengthened as I continued further within the garage. I had to control myself if I was going to make this a successful hunt.

Stalking up the ramp, I smelt him. He was hiding from me. I smirked as my predatory instincts registered his weakness. Once I entered the second floor of the garage, I noticed the body of a young bellboy lying in a pool of blood near the driver's door of a silver Ford Focus. I stopped breathing as I knelt down to to say a prayer for the boy and preformed the Sign of the Cross. I then examined his corpse. His throat had been completely torn out, which left the head barely attached. My prey had been busy it seems.

I reached into my coat and upholstered my Beretta. I took the safety off as I glanced around my surroundings. It felt as though I was being set up. My prey knew of my enhanced senses, so why did he leave a body in plan view? That is when I tensed up, tightening my grip on the pistol. I stood up and was greeted by a vicious roar as the Lycan charged me. I had barely enough time to dodge the dark beast as I jumped up and over the Ford with ease. I took aim at the Lycan and shot, grazing his shoulder.

He groaned in pain, but did not relent. He spun around to face me, crouching as he prepared to charge me again. I, too, feel into a defensive crouch and growled at the Lycan, exposing my fangs in the process. We both threw ourselves at each other, our common urge to kill apparent. I rolled under his clawed hand as he swung it, spinning around to fire off two rounds into his back as I hit the concrete. He howled in pain and stumbled to take cover next to a nearby pillar. The silver nitrate in the bullets was slowly poisoning him. I perused him with my enhanced speed, catching him off guard as he attempted to dig out the bullets.

I held by pistol to his chest, firing off another two bullets before aiming at the beast's head. His black and electric blue eyes met mine for a brief second, holding a defiant gaze in them. He lunged for me one last time as I squeezed the trigger. The bullet crashed into his skull, only to burst out of the back of his head a millisecond later. His lifeless body collapsed at my feet. I stared down at him for a moment, watching the blood ooze from his body, before holstering my pistol. I took several deep breaths as I felt the veins in my face and teeth return to normal. Showing a sign of respect, I gave the Sign of the Cross and prayed that he'd find some peace. After a few moments of silence, I reached up to the earpiece in my right ear and activated the two-way intercom.

"The Lycan has been neutralized. There was only one casualty." I informed my team.

"Understood. The cleaning team is inbound to your position now, Magistrate." The female voice on the other end informed me.

I nodded and turned around to further distance myself from the human corpse. I walked to an opening in the concrete wall of the parking garage and leaned on it, taking in the empty streets. I sighed as I watched the rain fall from the sky, creating a mellowing atmosphere with its symphony. I could smell the way the rain and concrete melded together. It was both fresh and stale, certainly an odd scent. Because of my high position in Arc, I rarely went on these missions. I was quite valued. However, I knew how to track Lycans. I was also one of the best trackers in Arc.

I stayed like this until I saw the black SUVs turn the corner and enter the garage. The cleaning team had arrived. I pushed myself off of the slab and walked toward the Lycan corpse. The two SUVs swerved around the corner and parked in front of the silver Ford that the human lay next to. All four doors opened on one of the SUVs and four men in black rushed out, beginning the cleaning task. The other SUV parked some ten feet from my current position, mimicking the same action as its comrade. This time, though, a young brunette woman in a black Victorian dress, a matching black coat, and a small top hat with a veil covering her face approached me. She glanced at the Lycan before smirking and turning her gaze onto me.

"That has to be a record time, Gabriel. I must say that I'm impressed. Perhaps you should show me your tricks?" She appraised with a British accent.

I chuckled and greeted her with a smirk, "Please, Mina, he was a young and reckless Lycan, nothing to give praise for. Besides, I thought you felt I had nothing to teach you?"

She grinned at me as the cleaning team began dealing with the Lycan corpse, "Alright, so perhaps I said that, but you could give me some input."

I nodded as I walked over to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder in the process, "What are siblings for, hmm?"

We both laughed as we made our way out of the garage to make room for the cleaning teams. She grabbed a black umbrella as we walked past the SUV, opening it a few seconds afterward. She wrapped her free arm around my waist and leaned into me as we stood outside the garage, waiting for the crews to finish their job. Mina had become close to Beatrice and I soon after she joined Arc in 1899. The three of us felt an instant draw toward each other. It was something that we attributed to the fact that we shared the same Sire. In our world, that meant that we were both connected and siblings. Our bound was just as strong as the one I shared with Beatrice and my biological daughter, Veronica.

Veronica's mother, Matilda, and I had married in 1898, becoming parents soon after. Matilda worked for Arc and was human, but gave birth without any complications. She passed away due to Tuberculosis in 1916, when Veronica was sixteen. We both were devastated. It's something that neither of us has overcome to this day. Veronica flat out refuses to even talk about it. I understand and respect her decision.

Veronica has since joined Arc, rounding out my team. Arc took pride in the fact that its most prominent team consisted of three vampires and a dhampir. It gave a good model to the other supernatural beings to aspire to in our large organization. For the most part, the four of us had a clean record. Neither of us had any slip ups around innocent humans. Yet, it still remains hard for us. Humans are our only source of nourishment, being that we don't gain any nutritional value from human food. For that reason, we don't associate with the mortal world very often. Our bloodlust is hard to control at times.

"Have you fed today?" Mina inquired as we watched the empty streets.

I shook my head in the negative, "I have not, but I will once the cleaning teams finish their job."

She hummed to herself, "Hmm, that would probably be wise. Lord Michael wishes to speak with the four of us at Headquarters. I doubt you'd enjoy the flight back to England while starving."

"No, I suppose not. Where's Veronica and Beatrice, by the way? I'm surprised they aren't here."

"They're waiting on the jet for us." Mina informed me.

One of the men from the SUVs approached us a minute later, "Magistrate Cullen, we've finished securing the area. Lord Michael has requested your presence in London. The jet is waiting for you and Madam Mina at Midway International Airport."

I nodded and took a step away from Mina, "Understood, Private Munich. I will be leaving here shortly."

With that, I kissed Mina on the cheek and leapt atop the parking garage. Hunting was usually easiest from a bird's eye view. I watched as Mina entered one of the SUVs as it left the garage for the airport. Once they were out of hearing range, I began to listen to my surroundings. I jumped onto a nearby school building and began moving further into the city. I stopped my movement as I detected a woman screaming. I quickly followed her cries for help, locating her in an alley. She was in a struggle with a scruffy looking man. I felt rage course through me. If there was one thing I despised most in this world, it was men who forced themselves on women.

"Listen you bitch, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice." He beckoned as he forced the woman up against the brick wall.

Even with the rain fall, I could still see her tears, "Please, let me go. I just want to go home!"

I leapt from my perch, landing behind the man with little sound, "Has anyone ever told you that it is beneath a man to harm a woman," I growled.

Startled, the man let go of the young woman and whipped around to face me, "Who the fuck are you?"

The woman took her chance to flee, running onto the street to head for safety. Again, the veins around my eyes moved to pump blood into my sclera and my fangs enlarged. The man noticed my sudden appearance change and made to flee. I used my vampiric abilities to get in front of him and tossed him into the brick wall of the alley with a sickening thud. He yelped in pain, which only pleased my vampiric instincts. I launched myself at him, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him a full foot off the ground with ease.

"I'll tell you who I am, I'm the last thing you're ever going to see," I growled before thrusting my fangs into his neck.

As my fangs punctured his jugular, he began to struggle. However, my superior strength was no match for a human. He took a breath to scream, but I covered his mouth with my left hand. I felt the warm liquid enter my mouth and slide down my throat, causing me to roll my eyes to the back of my head in pleasure. Feeding was always a pleasurable experience to a vampire. It was this fact that many of us became addicted to the bloodlust that occurred during feeding.

As more blood slid down my throat, my prey became weak. It was only a matter of time before he succumbed to blood loss. As vampires, we will rarely leave unwilling prey alive. It was possible to make them forget the entire experience, but it was also extraordinarily difficult to simply stop the bloodlust. I felt his body become limp and his pulse stop. I knew he was dead. I dropped his body to the cement.

I let out a shaky breath as the bloodlust relented. I could feel blood dripping from my chin as I stood there. As my face returned to normal, I looked up to the dark sky, taking off my hood and allowing the rain to wash off my face as I did. Once I felt that the blood was washed away, I grabbed the lifeless corpse and threw it in a nearby dumpster. I closed the lid and leapt back up to the roof of the office building I was on earlier.

I then dashed from roof to roof toward the direction of Midway International Airport, arriving there in less than fifteen minutes. I spotted the stealth jet on its own private runway and made my way to it. I could see Mina waiting for me at the staircase to the jet, umbrella in hand. She offered me a welcoming smile as I approached her.

"Was your hunt a success?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

I smiled reassuringly as her, "That it was. Shall we?" I motioned toward the jet.

She smiled and looped her arm around mine as we walked up the staircase. We paused for her to close her umbrella, and then entered the jet. A flight assistant from Arc brought up the staircase and shut the door behind us. As we entered the main sitting area, I was greeted by my daughter. She stood up from her chair and walked over to embrace me. I chuckled at her show of affection. She was always by my side, something I would never complain about.

"I was only gone a few hours, Veronica," I chuckled at my raven-haired daughter.

She pulled away and lightly punched my shoulder, "You know that I hate it when you hunt Lycans. I really don't care how good you are at tracking them down, it always makes me nervous."

I nodded and smiled sympathetically, "I know, my dear, but I always come back. I never even have a scratch on me."

She smiled at that, "Always so sure of yourself, aren't you Father?"

I shook my head, "No, but I know what I'm capable of."

A soft chuckle came from behind Veronica. I peered over her to she Beatrice walking toward me, "She just worries, Brother, as do I."

Veronica stepped back to allow my sister and I to embrace. After I left my Sire, I traveled back to England to see what had become of our family. As I traveled to Nottingham, I was ambushed by another vampire. Once I noticed that it was my younger sister, I paused and laughed. Realizing that she had attacked her older brother, she quickly apologized. From then on, we had never left each others side. She even joined Arc to ensure that we remain together.

I smiled as we pulled away from each other, "I understand completely. Now, how about we all sit down? This will be a long flight."

The three women nodded in agreement. We all took seats as the pilot informed us that they were taking off. Minutes later, we were climbing into the sky and headed for the Arc Institute. It would be an eight hour flight, which to a vampire, might as well be nothing. However, with little to do on the jet, coupled with the fact that we do not sleep, meant that it would feel like an eternity.

Veronica put on her ear-buds from her iPod and began listening to music. She was always keeping up with the newest technology and trend. Mina, Beatrice, and I would frequently go to her with questions about how humans act and dress when we were required to interact with them. Being that she was only half vampire meant that her bloodlust was much less of an issue than ours. Although she needed human blood, she didn't need it as often as we did. This gave her an advantage when she was asked to survey an area that had a heavy populace of humans.

Mina and I have a hard time being around humans. Though we work with them all the time, it is often a struggle to not harm them. I would dare say that I have a more difficult time than Mina, given my past. Lord Michael tries to give us as little time with humans as possible during missions, but he does push us to conquer our thirst. And, given time, it does seem to be helping. Beatrice, however, has little trouble with her bloodlust. Even with this, she chose to distance herself from humans. She always preferred the company of her siblings above anyone else.

…

Once the sun began to rise, we shut the curtains. Although the sun does not kill us, it can cause us to blister under direct exposure. We also feel weaker during daylight hours. This would even happen in areas with little sun shine. Even though our skin is remarkably tough, the ultra-violet rays put out by the sun injures us. We have no real answer for why that is.

During these hours, a vampire will typically seek shade or shelter. We conserve our energy during the day to better hunt at night. It is during sunset that we regain our strength. Vampires will come out of hiding to quench their thirst and move on to the next town or city. Few of us have permanent residences; in fact, the four of us are the only known vampires to have one. Though, our job has us moving around quite frequently.

Mina, who sat across from me, tapped my knee, causing me to open my eyes, "What do you think Lord Michael wants to speak with us about?"

I thought for a moment before answering, "A possible new mission, I assume. I mean, he rarely calls on us for simple conversation. I just don't understand why he didn't just use the video feed on the jet."

"Maybe it's extremely important," Veronica offered from my side.

"That makes sense. Why else would he want to see us in person?" Beatrice questioned.

"Well, we'll know soon enough." I nodded as the four of us fell back into our own thoughts.

…

The jet landed on the runway of the Arc Initiative Headquarters several hours later. The whole faculty lay ten miles outside of London in a restricted zone. Only Arc personnel were given access to its lands, which were quite vast. Any trespassers were immediately apprehended and given over to the London Police Force. The main building is where Lord Micheal's office was located. By all accounts, the Elizabethan era castle that housed the Arc Initiative Headquarters was massive. The four story building and it's outer wall with reinforced concrete stood out around the foliage that surrounded the entire compound. It was truly daunting.

Thankfully, it was raining in London, so we didn't have to cover our exposed skin. We walked straight toward the main Headquarters. Several personnel that were ranked under us stopped to salute us on the way, which was customary among the military. Most of Arc's human personnel were former military.

We entered the large double doors and were greeted by the guard at the receptionist's desk. He waved us on as we passed the desk, walking up the large, open staircase staircase that encompassed the entire circumference of the great hall. Numerous personnel were marching back and forth and room to room. It was beaming with activity. We entered the door that held Lord Micheal's personal receptionist. Once we entered the office, she looked up from her computer.

"Lord Michael and the Monarchs are eager to see you, Magistrate Cullen," She waved us into our boss's office.

Ah, the Monarchs. So this was important. The Monarchs were, by all accounts, the leaders of our vampiric world. The four of them were the last of the Ancients; winged vampires whose blood could transform humans into vampires. They started to turn humans into vampires once their species became near extinct after a war with another ancient species, the Fae, eons ago. Now, only the four Monarchs remain. They are my species' governing body. In fact, the Arc Initiative was started by the Monarchs, Lord Michael, and several leaders within the Lycan Tribe.

While Arc housed hundreds of supernatural species and acted as a United Nations of sorts, the Monarchs still had the absolute final word in the vampire world. With my duty as Magistrate, I was just under them when it came to power. They were both the Executive and Legislative branches of government and I was the sole member of the Judicial. I was the judge, jury and executioner all rolled into one package.

I nodded and walked toward the engraved ivory doors. Once we entered the large conference room, I couldn't help but feel anxious. Lord Michael was never a cruel man, yet he also was not a very personable one either. He did take a particular interest in us, which he had never done to any other employee in Arc's long history.

It was quite the contrary relationship in regards to the four Monarchs. We were very close, often spending the occasional day conversing in a group. When I joined Arc, they had personally selected me to become Magistrate of our vampire world. This meant that I was at the forefront of hearings of vampires that broke our laws. It also meant that I was always present in Arc's meetings with other supernatural strongholds who had not joined Arc's ranks. Needless to say, I was quite popular within the supernatural world, be it positive or negative.

Lord Michael was sitting at his desk, clad in a white three-piece suit. His crystal blue eyes locked onto us as the receptionist shut the door behind us. He offered us a welcoming smile as he sat up straight and folded his hands on the desk. on either side of him sat the Monarchs, two to Lord Micheal's left, and two to his right. Their wings tucked behind them as they sat comfortably in the dark leather chairs. The two males, Hesperus and Samael wore dark suits, holes most likely adorning the backs for their wings. While the females, Lilith and Valdis, wore dresses that echoed an era long past, shoulders exposed as to accompany their bat-like wings.

The four of us bowed slightly in a show of respect. After I straightened, I stood at ease and spoke in a tone of pure business, "You asked to see us, my Lord?"

Lord Micheal looked over the four of us for a long moment before allowing his angelic voice to be heard, "Yes, Magistrate Cullen. We have been informed of a slight bit of disturbing information."

I nodded in understanding, waiting for him to continue.

"I must apologize for the short notice, but we must send your team to Washington state," He informed us, "Our contact within the Volturi has informed us that the entire coven will be headed to Washington state in a month."

"The entire coven, my Lord?" I questioned.

"Yes, it would appear that an Immortal Child may have been created by the coven that resides there." He focused his gaze more on Beatrice and me as he spoke, "Your brother's coven."

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**A/N: _I should let you know that this story takes place during Breaking Dawn, so they year would be 2006. Also, sclera is the white area of your eye, just to clear up in possible confusion. Feel free to leave a review, whatever it may be._**

_**As always, until next time…**_


	3. Debrief

**Disclaimer:_ I don't own Twilight or any idea related to Bram Stoker's Dracula. _**

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**Debrief**

I swallowed as I thought of my brother, "That can't be. Creating an Immortal Child is one of the Volturi's highest laws. Creation and the harboring of one is punishable by death."

He nodded, "If this is all true, then the situation has the potential of becoming quite serious. Your destination is Forks, Washington. From what our intelligence tells us; there is a pack of shape-shifters that patrol their native lands, as well as and influx of Homo-nus Diurnailus."

Veronica furrowed her brows in confusion, "I'm sorry, but what are Homo-nus Diurnailus, my Lord?"

"They are a cousin species of vampires, if you will. Your species is scientifically known as Homo-nus Nocturnus, which is based on the fact that, like us, your species is primarily nocturnal. The Homo-nus Diurnailus aren't necessarily night predators. They can walk in daylight without harm from ultra-violet rays. Arc does not deal with them because they have their own governing body that rules over them. From what we understand, the residing coven is a rare breed. They feed on the blood of animals and have a permanent residence in Forks." Queen Lilith explained to my daughter.

King Hesperus fixed his pale and red eyes onto me, "The shape-shifters have been informed of your arrival by our human personnel. They will give you details, but you must also seek out the coven. We should cast our own investigation of this alleged Immortal Child, and give the coven the benefit of the doubt."

I nodded in understanding and looked to Lord Michael, "When do we depart, my Lord?"

"Within the hour. And, be careful. If the Volturi has false information, or intends on destroying the gathering covens, then they are in violation of their treaty with Arc. Such a violation would lead to war, one that would threaten to spill onto human lands. We cannot afford this. Please, proceed with extreme caution. Your equipment is already with the Seattle Branch." He enunciated each word carefully.

"In the event that you find that the Volturi have violated the treaty, we ask that you inform us immediately. We shall then take leave to Forks to place them on trial. Such a violation from them will not be tolerated." Queen Valdis informed with a dark authority that left no room for misinterpretation.

King Samael appraised me for a moment, "You must understand that you are endowed with our authority in this matter. No being shall question you, Gabriel. As far as we are concerned, you represent the Monarchs and the Arc Initiative. Do not feel afraid to invoke that power when need be."

"I understand, Your Majesty." I couldn't help but feel a slight pressure from acquiring such a power.

"Be sure to keep us informed of the investigation and subsequent findings. The Seattle Branch will act as your back-up. They have already set up a base of operations within Forks. Your jet should be ready. Good luck, and dismissed." Lord Micheal nodded, effectively ending the briefing.

With that, I turned and left the room, followed by Beatrice, Mina and Veronica. We made our way back to the jet. It is rare that we are given two missions in a twenty-four hour time frame, which meant that this was as serious as it gets. And it was. If the Volturi were reaching for a power grab, then that meant that they had discarded the treaty they made with us three centuries ago. Such an implication could mean that the Volturi were readying for war against offer supernatural beings. It was a frightening thought, and one that we had to ensure never came to pass.

I remember the day the Volturi called for a treaty. They had been systematically assassinating Children of the Moon, making the species' numbers near extinct in Europe and Asia. Once we caught track of what they were doing, we prepared to dethrone them of power. However, a treaty was created by the Volturi to avoid their destruction. It allowed them to remain in power, so long as they never made any aggressive action toward any other supernatural species. It also prevented them from ruling over their own species in any way that was deemed repressive.

And threatening a single coven with the entire Guard was just that, regardless of the possible creation of an Immortal Child. Beatrice and I did have an invested interest in this, of course. We knew Carlisle was a man of honor, and even spent some time with the Volturi. He knew their laws. He'd never simply disregard them, would he? No, I could not see such a thing. I was intent on seeing him innocent.

In the off chance that he did create an Immortal Child, though, I must then treat him as I would any other vampire that committed a crime. I just prayed by the Grace of God that he hadn't become that damn foolish.

...

Currently, the four of us sat on the jet which was flying somewhere over the Midwestern United States. The flight had been oddly silent, bordering almost uncomfortable. The reason for this, I figured, was that Beatrice and I were deep in thought, and Mina and Veronica seemed to be trying to decide if they should bother conversing with us on our feelings. So, I decided to wait for my vampiric sister and my daughter to come to a conclusion before attempting to construct a conversation. That way they would feel more comfortable asking whatever it is they wanted to ask.

Eventually, Veronica stirred in her seat and turned to face Beatrice and me, apparently coming to a decision to voice what was on her mind. She cleared her throat softly, gathering everyone's attention and spoke quietly, "I'm sorry if I seem out of place, but why don't either of you talk about your brother? Did something happen between the three of you?"

I shook my head, "You are never out of line, my dear. To answer your questions, nothing negative happened between us. We don't really talk about Carlisle simply because it's a difficult situation to navigate. The treaty with the Volturi strictly forbids our species from interacting with theirs unless the parameters of a mission requires it. There are no social calls."

"When was the last time you saw him?" Veronica inquired.

"March 12, 1901. It's been one-hundred and one years since we last saw him." I replied, not bothering to hide the disappointment in my voice.

"It was a brief encounter during a trial of a renegade Homo-nos Nocturnus. Carlisle had some information that proved helpful. We did as much catching up as we could, but we had to keep it short. We did not wish for a confrontation with the Volturi, regardless of the fact that we could easily destroy them." Beatrice added.

Mina half-smiled to herself then turned to Veronica, "It was the first time I met my 'half-brother', albeit a brief one."

"So, the reason that neither of you can keep in contact is due to this treaty?" Veronica asked, looking between Beatrice, Mina, and me.

I nodded, "Like I said earlier, the Volturi did not want us to police their world. Because they are not a part of the Arc Initiative, we don't have the luxury of making sure they abide by our rules and standards; one of which being that we do not exterminate entire species."

Veronica frowned for a moment, "Some time ago, you mentioned that Carlisle was part of Arc," I nodded to her statement, "Then why did he leave, Father?"

"Carlisle served within Arc as a doctor and scientist. He was with us for a century before deciding to seek out his own species. Lord Micheal respected his decision and wished him well, which Beatrice and I did also didl. He wanted to understand more about what he was, and where his species came from. That led him to the Volturi, whom he stayed with for a few decades, hence the reason I doubt he created an Immortal Child." I explained to my daughter.

"So that makes the Volturi the bad guys in this situation?" Veronica wondered more to herself than her present company.

I shook my head in the negative, "It's not that simple. Have they been misguided in the past? Absolutely. However, they exist for a very specific reason, without any form of governance or law, the Homo-nus Diurnailus would run a muck. That goes for any species. Without a governing body, anarchy becomes much more than a possibility. It's a guaranteed reality. Therefore, the Volturi is a necessity... well, maybe not the Volturi, but a governing body of some sort."

Veronica hummed to herself, "I can't see any reason to disagree with that notion. I am wondering something though. If, by some off chance, Carlisle or his coven created an Immortal Child, how do we proceed?"

I looked to Beatrice as I answered, "Then we treat him the same way we'd treat any criminal. Even in Arc, creation of an Immortal Child in either species is a crime punishable by death. They are impossible to control, well beyond insubordinate in all cases. They would become an ancient soul trapped within a child's body. That wouldn't be anything less than an utter nightmare to endure."

Just then, the stewardess came by to inform us that we'd be landing shortly. I excused myself to change my attire. When I appeared in front of any individual I was prosecuting, I always wore a suit. It, for one, gave off an aura that spoke volumes of my authority. I held myself in a different light, and, in that sense, the suit was a uniform. Another reason was simply because I represented the Arc Initiative. I had to both look well groomed and rather important.

Today, I wore a dark grey three-piece pinstripe suit with a red tie and handkerchief in my jacket's front pocket. The suit was complete with my Italian dress boots, which were my favorite item of all. Now, I wasn't a materialistic man by any means, but it was the mystic of wearing a fine suit that plastered a smile of your face. I adjusted the tailored suit before fixing the tie and exiting the small restroom. Once I reached my seat, Veronica appraised me with a smile.

"I see you're starting to listen to my fashion tips," She mused.

I chuckled, "Please! I'm almost one thousand years old. Do you not think that I don't pay attention to world around me and it's changing fashions?"

She shrugged before turning to Mina, "Now, why don't you get with the times? You dress like it's still the late nineteenth century."

"I can tell you right now that the way women dress in today's age is appalling! I've no desire to change my attire, nor do I ever have missions that require me to do so. Besides, I enjoy my fashion sense." Mina chastised my daughter.

Veronica raised her hands in mock surrender, "Alright, Gothic princess, alright. Well, at least Aunt Beatrice dresses like she means business."

"That's because I do." Beatrice commented from my side.

I smirked at my sister's comment. Like me, she had a knack for wearing suits to trails. Instead of pants, however, she substituted them with a knee length black skirt. She also ditched the vest, but wore the tie and jacket. Given her position in Arc just under me, she also felt that her appearance was a must. Together, we probably looked like high-class lawyers. I guess that assumption was not too far off.

Twenty minutes later, the jet touched down in the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. There was a moderate snow fall, which really did not surprise me being that it was early December in Washington state. We exited the jet to be greeted by the commander of the Seattle Branch of Arc. As we approached him, he saluted us, "Good evening, Magistrate."

I returned his salute, "Good evening, Commander Heindrick. I assume everything is all prepared?"

The Commander nodded, "Yes, sir. We have secured a base of operations three miles from the Cullen's property. The SUV will take you there now."

"Lead the way, Commander," With that, we approached the six door SUV that was just outside the runway.

...

The SUV was currently cruising down a desolate highway, heading just outside Forks. Outside the vehicle, foliage zoned by in the darkness. With my excellent vision, I could make out various cypress, fir, maple, and alder trees adorning the ever expansive snow-capped forest. I was always amazed by how untouched the Pacific region of the United States was. It still held a sense of ancient wilderness and magic to it. I was instantly reminded of the forests of the England I knew when I was human. A ghost of a smile crept onto my face as I reminisced of simpler times. Beatrice, who sat to the right of me, tapped my shoulder. I turned to her to see her curious expression. I shook my head lightly, "Just reminiscing of our human home. The forests here remind me of it."

Beatrice peered out of the passenger window I sat near, "Yes, it does share an eerie similarity. Perhaps that is why Carlisle choose to live here?"

"That, and the abundance of animal life. I suppose that makes their diet easier to maintain." I added.

"Speaking of diet, how exactly do we feed while we're here? We can't hunt humans in such a small town. Someone may notice," Veronica asked the driver.

Commander Heindrick, who was our driver, glanced into the rearview mirror, "The base has a well stocked supply of donated blood to last about a month."

I raised an eyebrow at the comment, "A month? That seems to be on the surfeit side to me."

Again, the Commander glanced into the rearview mirror, "Headquarters believes the Volturi will be here in about that time. If the coven is indeed innocent, it seemed necessary to prepare for the wait for the Volturi, Magistrate."

I grinned at the team's prognostication, "Planning ahead, I see? Good man! It'll make our lives a little easier. No one wants to step on any toes when feeding is concerned."

Within a few minutes, the vehicle slowed considerably. It then stopped just near a barely visible clearing in the forest, just large enough for the SUV. What would be a dirt path if it was not covered by snow continued into the forest, acting like a road. I figured that this well concealed road led to Carlisle's property. Commander Heindrick turned slightly in his seat to speak to us, "The home of the coven is up this road. It's about a four minute drive. How do you wish to proceed, Magistrate?"

I thought for a moment. If there were other covens already there, then having humans present may encourage a reaction I'd rather avoid. The four of us on foot would make for the better option. Carlisle is already aware of our arrival, so he'd expect our scents. So, I decided to play the safer hand.

"My team will continue on foot. I don't want to risk any human lives around vampires that I don't know." I informed him.

The Commander nodded, "Understood, sir. There is just one more thing," he unholstered a Walther P99, "This firearm is loaded with a clip that uses magazines filled with a highly flammable substance. It's a prototype, but it works. Since these vampires have venom that's highly flammable, a single bullet from this should cause a chain reaction turning them into a flaming mess. In case diplomacy fails, I'm handing this firearm to you, sir."

I nodded as I took the firearm. I opened my jacket, removed my Beretta, and holstered the Walther P99. I assume it was wiser to be safe, rather than sorry. "Thank you, Commander. Now, we shall take our leave. I will contact you before 2300 to report."

With that, I exited the car. Beatrice, Veronica, and Mina followed suit, coming to stand next to me. The SUV drove off behind us as we made our way onto the dirt path. I was immediately hit with the sickly sweet smell of the Homo-nus Diurnailus. I could compare it to butterscotch and caramel mixed into a sugar broth. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was certainly distinct. Having never smelt such an odor, Veronica gagged then covered her nose with her right hand.

"Dear Lord! What on Earth is that smell?" She grumbled, her voice muffled by her hand.

I chuckled at her behavior, "Yes, it's hard to get used to. It's the pheromone produced by the Homo-nus Diurnailus. Humans are immensely attracted to it. It's how they hunt. It also is a way that they mark their territory. Their scent can be dispersed up to a mile or two in circumference to warn other vampires that that is their territory. Don't worry, though, the scent will become bearable shortly. You'll adapt to it, and it won't feel so paralyzing to the senses."

Veronica gagged again, "Is there a reason why their scent is so strong to us?"

I smirked, "It's only this overwhelming because of an increase in their numbers on this territory. Typically, the smell would be noticeable, but not offensive."

We continued on at a leisure pace so Veronica could get use to the scent. Within ten minutes on walking at a human pace, we entered a large clearing. In the middle of the clearing stood a grand three story home. Much of the home was made of glass, which was vaguely shocking to me. If humans were ever within the vicinity of the home, they'd probably realize that there was something off about the home's occupants. The first and third level were a dark gray, where the second appeared to be constructed of a type of lumber. I could tell from my current position that the backyard dropped off, probably into a large hill or a creak, and by the sound of running water, I'd go with the latter. A silver Prius sat parked in front of the garage. It would appear that my brother enjoys high-class living.

As we approached, I could hear several harsh whispers. I could just barely make out the voice of my brother. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Beatrice smile. I knew she missed her twin terribly. Glancing at the large floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see movement. I couldn't tell just how many vampires were in home, but from the number of voices, I could range the number anywhere from nineteen to twenty-seven. The closer the four of us got, the more frantic the voices became. I began to wonder if calling first would have been a better idea, though, I did not know if Carlisle even had a phone.

We walked up the stone path that led to the front stairs. I began walking in full Magistrate mode because this had to be all business. Once we reached the front door, all voices ceased. It was unnerving. I glanced at my sisters and daughter behind me. They took steady breaths and hardened their faces. I then turned my attention to the front door and took a deep breath. I straightened my posture and knocked on the door. I heard two pairs of quiet foot steps walking toward the door. After a brief moment, the door opened.

Carlisle stood there in dark slacks and a sweater, which covered the button-down shirt underneath. Next to him stood a woman with a kind, heart-shaped face. She wore a dark, knee-length skirt, a blue blouse, and a blue cardigan. Her sheaves were pushed up, revealing a bracelet with my family's crest on it. I knew that Carlisle wore a ring that had our crest engraved within it, as did I. Beatrice wore a necklace with our crest as a pendent. All that information had me assuming that this was his mate.

Carlisle's eyes shone with longing and happiness, but his body seemed tense. I'd gather that he was quite nervous with members of Arc being on his doorstep when such strong accusations lay upon him. After the five seconds of us standing there awkwardly, Carlisle offered a welcoming smile, "Gabriel! Beatrice!"

I nodded in affirmative, "The very same."

"Hello, brother," greeted Beatrice from behind me.

Over his shoulder, I could see numerous vampires watching our greeting, all tense.

"I was informed that you and Beatrice would be arriving, I just had no idea it would be so soon. They only told us yesterday." Carlisle continued, smile never fading.

"Yes, well, unlike certain other governing bodies, we like to get to the bottom of a situation quickly. May we come in, or shall we stand out here in the snow?" I asked with humor in my voice, attempting to get Carlisle to relax.

He nodded and stepped aside, his assumed mate doing the same. Once the four of us stood in the foyer, Carlisle shut the door. His assumed mate stepped forward with a smile on her face, offering her hand, "Hello, I'm Esme, Carlisle's wife. I apologize for the awkward situation, but times have been a little hectic as of late. Carlisle has told me quite a bit about you and Beatrice."

I took her hand and offered my own smile, "No need for apologies, Esme. I understand your situation, and I hope to get to the bottom of it."

Once I released her hand, she moved to greet Beatrice, "It's a pleasure to meet both of you!"

Beatrice took her hand, a smile on her lips, "I hope he's told you only good things about me. Lord knows that I'm the angel in the family."

Both Carlisle and I snorted at the same time, earning a chuckle from my daughter, "Oh, you two even snort alike!"

I turned to glare at Veronica as she stepped forward to introduce herself, "Hello, Esme and Carlisle. My name is Veronica. I'm Gabriel's daughter."

Esme and Carlisle greeted her with handshakes. Carlisle looked perplex afterward, "Daughter? Gabriel, you never told me that you Sired someone."

I shook my head, "Listen closely, Carlisle."

He did just that. Silence engulfed the room for a moment before all other vampires gasped. It was slightly comical. Carlisle's wide eyes fixes on me, "A hybrid?"

Veronica giggled very much unlike the one-hundred plus year old vampire she truly was, "I prefer the term dhampir, myself."

Carlisle looked apologetic for a moment, "I'm sorry, my dear. What of you mother?"

Veronica and I winced at the comment. Carlisle noticed this and looked to Esme, who wore an sorrowful expression. I looked over to Mina, who was standing by the door. She was never comfortable in these situations. I motioned to her, and she stepped forward, "This is my vampiric sister, Mina."

She offered a forced smile, "I apologize for my demeanor, but I am not comfortable in these tense situations."

Carlisle and Esme greeted her with the same welcoming positions as they did us. Regardless of what was about to come, I knew that making sure we were kind and respectful would ease some of the tension in the room. Yet, it was still thick in the air. It weighed on everyone like a dense fog. Figuring that skipping ahead to the questioning was probably best at this point, I stepped further into the room.

"As much as I'd love to continue this, I'm afraid we are here on a very serious mission. Sadly, there have been quite inflammatory accusations thrust upon you, Carlisle. Being sole Magistrate of the Arc Initiative and the Monarchs doesn't give me the luxury of ignoring such a case, regardless of the fact that you are my brother. I will, however give you the benefit of the doubt. Do you know what brings us here?" I asked, walking toward one of the large windows.

Carlisle moved further into the room, "It seems that we have been accused of breaking a law that we did not break."

I nodded, "I see. Well, our informant within the Volturi claim that Aro was told that you have created an Immortal Child. As you know, such a thing is forbidden and punishable by death, even within Arc. Apparently, the entire Guard will be here within a month to place you on trial. I see that you have gathered either witnesses or an army. So, I must ask, where is the accused child?"

A vampire with long blonde hair and a beard stepped forward, crouched, and growled at me, "Why should we trust you!"

"Alistair!" Carlisle shouted, his expression becoming extremely wary.

Veronica, Mina, and Beatrice flanked both of my sides, but did nothing more to provoke. I sighed, opened my jacket, and unholstered the pistol Commander Heindrick gave me and stepped forward, "Do you see this gun? It may appear normal to you, but it's clips hold bullets that are highly flammable. We all know that your species has venom that is quite flammable as well. It does not take a genius to connect the dots from there. I do not want to use this, but if you provoke me, I will. I desire nothing more than to have this whole situation end with a peaceful outcome."

"He's telling the truth," Spoke a small girl with fiery, curly red hair and an Irish accent.

The man, Alistair, stood from his crouch, but his eyes remained mistrustful, "If it wasn't for your gift, little Maggie, I would not yield."

I holstered my pistol and stepped closer to Alistair, "I neither know, nor care, who you think you are, sir, but you have no idea who you're dealing with. You think the Volturi are bad? They are nothing more than children compared to the Arc Initiative and the Monarchs. I offer a peaceful resolution, and, given the accused information is false, I can help in whatever I can. I am not your enemy. However, understand that we represent the highest of authorities. And I am the Magistrate on both organizations. It would be wise, Alistair, to _not piss me off_!"

"Highest authorities? You sound like a typical government bureaucrat, no different from the Volturi!" Alistair narrowed his eyes at me.

I narrowed mine back, allowing my veins to pump blood into my eyes and my fangs to enlarge. There were a few gasps from the others in the room. I would gather that they had never encountered a member of my species before. Carlisle came to stand near us, placing a both of his hands on Alistair's and my shoulder. I offered a deep growl as Alistair pushed Carlisle's hand off of him. Alistair made no move to retreat, but did look unsure of himself as I bared my fangs at him.

"Please, let us all calm down. We can prove our innocence. We have nothing to hide. Alistair, my brother only means to understand what is going on. Please, stay your hand, old friend!" Carlisle begged calmly.

As Alistair backed away slowly, I offered one last bit of advice, "The Volturi's fate rests solely in the hands our the Arc Initiative. I do see that they have done a piss poor job of informing you that vampires, as well as Children of the Moon, Lycans, and shape-shifters are on the bottom of the food chain in the supernatural world. Arc is headed by a man who _is_ the highest authority. We stand for truth and justice, not power and fear. We would be a powerful ally to you, and I suggest you bid by my request to see the child so we can move on."

Everyone, except Carlisle, looked to the small Irish girl, Maggie. She nodded, "He's speaking truthfully. He has no intention of harming anyone."

All bodies, even Alistair, visibly relaxed after that. Carlisle let out a sigh of relief and offered me an apologetic smile. I took a deep breath, allowing my fangs to retract and my eyes to return to normal. I must have been so tense, because I didn't notice that my finger nails had extended by an inch into talons. With a little concentration, the also retracted. Regaining my composure, I nodded to Carlisle.

He nodded back and turned his head toward the staircase across the room, "Edward, Bella, Jacob, please bring Renesmee into the living room."

Moments later, a young man, who appeared to be of native descant, walked down the staircase, followed closely by a male vampire with bronze-coloured, upturned hair, and a female vampire with chestnut-coloured hair. The female vampire was holding a girl who appeared to be no my than six years old. She had a unique colour of bronze, curly hair and large, chocolate eyes. Her skin was pale like any vampire, but I could hear a heart beat. It was the smoking gun. I laughed, hard, glad that I could now relax. I could feel my eyes water a little. All eyes were on me as I began to regain my composure, wiping my eyes. I cleared my throat before explaining.

"I apologize, but you all have nothing to fear," I looked to the woman carrying the child and to the male vampire near them, "I assume that she is your daughter?"

There was a collective sigh of relief uttered throughout the room. Every vampire relaxed. The woman, who I gathered was Bella, smiled as she looked to her daughter, "Yes, yes she is."

I nodded, happily, "You have nothing to fear, little Renesmee," I turned to face my sisters and daughter, "She is a dhampir as well."

Veronica perked up, "Like me?"

I nodded, "Exactly like, actually. A human mother and a vampire father. Though, I'll admit, Homo-nus Diurnailus dhampirs are quite rare. The fetus grows rapidly, so rapidly that the human female's body will typically give out if she isn't digesting human blood, which is different with dhampirs in our species," I then turned back to Bella, "I apologize if my next statement offends you, but you were quite lucky to be turned after birth. Most don't survive."

To my delight, Bella didn't look offended. She merely looked to the vampire next to her and smiled. He then turned to me, a serious and hopeful expression of his face, "So, do you intend to help us?"

"I don't see how the Volturi could take any action toward you. Dhampirs in both of our species are no more dangerous than a pure vampire. They simply have human needs." I was gathering that I was missing an important bit of information.

The bronze haired vampire nodded, which confused me, and looked to Carlisle, "We need to tell him, Carlisle."

Carlisle frowned and then turned to me, "We have reason to believe that the Volturi will not hear us, nor listen to our witnesses."

I shook my head, "Carlisle, you know as well as I that they have no grounds to charge you on. There was no law broken. Not to mention, any aggressive action taken against a gathering such as this would make our treaty with the Volturi void. That, my brother, is something they cannot risk."

A clearing of a throat gathered our attention. I looked toward the sound to see a familiar face. I smiled when I saw him, "Eleazar, my old acquaintance! It's good to see you!"

He smiled back, but soon dropped into a serious demeanor, "Yes, it's been some time. You see, we believe that the Volturi are really coming to destroy us, and take unique vampires with them."

I frowned, deeply, "Aro may be a lot of things, but suicidal has never been one of them. Surely he doesn't think that word of such a movement wouldn't travel back to the doors of the Arc Initiative? That we wouldn't react in full force, stripping them of power? He wouldn't blindly ignore the treaty unless he had a death wish."

Eleazar shook his head, "Gabriel, you know as well as I that Caius has Aro's ear, and that Marcus is far too catatonic to stop him. Caius is the only one who could convince Aro that coming here with the entire Guard was a wise choice of action. Also, let's not forget that Aro does enjoy "collecting" vampires with beneficial gifts. So, a claim of an Immortal Child would simply be an accuse to act."

My eye twitched with barely controlled anger. I've never had an issue with my temper, but the thought that the Volturi would openly deify us after all these years of peace aggravated me to no end. Aro had been the one to suggest a peace treaty, not Arc. Now he was openly defying us? I did not like being double-crossed, and neither did the Monarchs or Lord Michael.

"If they would openly commit treason against us, than I shall personally deliver his sentence with pleasure. Such an act shall not be tolerated. If he wants to have a war that badly, then I will hand him one." I tried my best to control my anger.

Carlisle looked worried at the idea of war, "Please brother, we don't want any casualties."

"You misunderstand me, brother. The Monarchs and Lord Michael have an invested interest in this matter. Now that I know that the Volturi wish to defy us openly, I will inform them, and they have promised to see the trial personally." I explained to Carlisle.

"The Monarchs and Lord Michael are coming here?" Carlisle asked, flabbergasted.

I nodded, "And I don't foresee them being too happy."

* * *

_**A/N: This chapter turned out to be longer than I expected, but I believe it all works out.**_

_**Until next time...  
**_


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